Human Evolution Timeline: From Early Hominids to Homo Sapiens

Prehistory: Understanding Early Human Development

Prehistory is the earliest period of history, and its study extends from the origin of man to the advent of writing. In recent years, significant strides have been made in understanding this long, foundational period. Advances in archaeological studies and scientific dating methods explain these developments.

The Hominization Process

A major theme of research and debate is the humanization process: the chronological evolutionary sequence that culminated with the emergence of Homo. To understand this process, prehistorians and archaeologists study the evolution of human fossils, tools, and associated debris found at archaeological sites.

Key Stages of Early Hominid Evolution

There is general agreement that hominization began in Africa. The sequence includes:

• The Australopithecus, the oldest examples dated to around 5–6 million years ago.
• This evolved into Homo habilis around 2,400,000 years ago. Homo habilis is considered the first true human species.

Thereafter, the evolutionary picture becomes increasingly complex. Following Homo ergaster and Homo erectus, these species began to migrate to Europe and Asia.

Human Remains in the Iberian Peninsula

The earliest human remains in the Iberian Peninsula date back more than 800,000 years.

Discoveries at Atapuerca

The oldest human remains have been found in the Sima de los Huesos (1974) and the Gran Dolina (1996) sites in the Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos.

• The 86 human fossils found at Gran Dolina belong to skulls and jawbones of six individuals (four juveniles and two adults) who lived about 800,000 years ago. Their anthropomorphic characteristics differentiate them from other European fossils, leading to the designation Homo antecessor ("pioneer man").
• In the Sima de los Huesos, abundant human remains (13,000 skeletal fragments) belonging to the so-called Homo heidelbergensis have been discovered. This species is thought to be transitional between Homo neanderthalensis and Homo antecessor.

According to the Atapuerca research team, these first humans arrived on the peninsula from Africa, likely following herds of animals upon which their survival depended.

The last two species of the Homo genus to appear in the peninsula were the Homo neanderthalensis, dating from about 95,000 years ago, and Homo sapiens, appearing about 35,000 years ago.

Homo neanderthalensis became extinct and did not influence the subsequent evolution toward Homo Sapiens. The latter possessed physical features similar to modern humans, was capable of creating complex instruments, and expressed beliefs through funeral rituals and paintings in rock shelters or caves.